Essay about Slender Man Final

Submitted By chris0700
Words: 607
Pages: 3

Chris Malandrakis
Mrs. Prendergast
English 9H-6
5 May 2015 A Violent Reality “Slender: The Eight Pages” is a computer game and Slenderman is the one and only character in the game besides the player. Even though it just a game, it has been linked to two teenage stabbings in the United States. The internet has seen many creations but not one that has been spawned from bits of images starting back in 2009, when Eric Knudsen created the out of focus image of a tall, dark man that needs to be satisfied through ghoulish deeds. (Biggs) The object of the game is to evade Slenderman and collect eight pages before he gets you. It is a game of horror that elicits fear from the single-player. It is this fictional fear that has created a real life fear that has led to death. The game turned to real life horror when two girls from Waukesha, Wisconsin felt the need to stab their friend nineteen times in order to satisfy Slenderman’s appetite for death. The girls had planned the stabbing for months in advance and felt that if they did not do this then Slenderman would take revenge out on their families. (Gambino) This is a prime example of how a ridiculous internet fantasy became an horrific reality for two twelve year old girls and their unsuspecting victim. It has led the creator, Eric Knudsen, to state "I feel like I'm Slenderman's manager, and he's out there doing his thing, and I need to just kind of watch him and take care of him." (Gross)
Malandrakis 2 In another such incident, a twelve year old girl from Ohio stabbed her mother when she came home from work one day. The girl apparently was wearing a white mask with a hoodie and her sleeves were covering her hands in anticipation of stabbing her mother. Although the mother sustained only minor injuries, she found “some very “dark” writings and drawings her daughter had made that referenced Slenderman”. (Cox) The 13- year old girl is now facing charges and is awaiting trial while sitting in juvenile detention. Although these are only two incidents that have caught the media attention, there are many questions that are raised by the meme, Slenderman. The administrator of the website, Creepypasta, has stated that the age of users should be 13 years of age and older and that all the